Why You Should Ask for the Phone Number in Chat
Don't just send Calendly and appointment links. Ask for the phone number and call your potential customers.
Why Scheduling Appointments Often Fails
Many people have experienced that, despite apparent interest in a service or product, the contact on LinkedIn doesn't lead to the desired appointment. It's disappointing when contacts don't sign up through a Calendly link or similar scheduling tools.
The Importance of the Phone Number
A solution to this problem could be to directly ask for the contact's phone number. Especially in high-ticket sales, it's crucial to establish personal contact with the customer, be it through a strategy talk or a qualification call. Experience shows that contacts are more willing to give out their phone numbers (usually business numbers) than to sign up for a talk through an impersonal and tedious link.
Another issue, particularly on LinkedIn, is that LinkedIn doesn't like redirects to other websites and will first ask the contact if they really want to leave the secure LinkedIn site and switch to a potentially unsafe site XXX. Few contacts are willing to do that.
Strategies for Scheduling Appointments
Once you've got the contact's phone number, ask when they have time. Fridays are often good days for such conversations, as many people have more time then. If someone isn't willing to give out their phone number but is interested in a conversation, try to schedule the appointment directly in chat instead of just sending an appointment link.
The Art of Following Up
It's also important to persist. If someone shows interest but then doesn't respond, don't hesitate to follow up. The Chrome extension from CompLeadly can also help you efficiently track the contact history and send follow-ups until the contact actually responds.
Live
Sometimes your business requires that you arrange a live broadcast or something similar. Flexibility is required in such cases. Try to schedule the appointment directly in chat, instead of just sending an appointment link.
In Conclusion
Setting up an appointment is often the first step in a successful business relationship and shouldn't be left to chance. By directly asking for the phone number, strategic follow-ups, and a flexible approach, the likelihood of successfully scheduling appointments can be significantly increased